The present invention relates to a display for a vehicle, and more particularly to a method and apparatus for incorporating in the display control and status information of various avionics subsystems.
Modern displays, particularly those used in aircraft for flight planning and monitoring, are capable of displaying a considerable amount of information such as flight planning information, flight profile information, navigational information, weather information, radio communication information and other information useful to a crew member or air traffic controller in conducting or monitoring a flight.
With these displays, which are multifunction displays that are chief components of the aircraft""s primary display system (PDS), it is possible for a crew member or controller (user) to interact with the display by selecting particular items of information on the display to have the display system emphasize those items such that the selected item is more readily identified, and subsequently to obtain or quickly recognize pertinent information related to the selected item without undue clutter from other items of information on the display. This is advantageous in reducing aircrew workload, as most information is concentrated in a single display and control of the various functions is handled by the aircrew in a common manner.
With typical aircraft instrumentation and control arrangements, certain avionics subsystems (e.g., data communications management, the central maintenance system, the flight management system, and satellite radio communication systems), however, are handled separately and independently from the primary display system. This separate and independent control and display is performed in separate communications modules, known as multifunction control/display units (multifunction CDUs or MCDUs) or similar radio/audio/etc. subsystem CDUs, which require additional space, add additional weight to the aircraft, and increase aircrew workload by diverting the aircrew""s attention from the primary display system by requiring operation of the device in a different manner than that of the primary display system and by displaying data or instructions in a format different from that of the primary display system.
In view of the foregoing, it should be appreciated that it would be desirable to provide, for example, satellite communications and similar capability in aircraft not equipped with MCDUs, particularly in the case of smaller aircraft including business aircraft, where weight and space are usually at a premium. In larger aircraft such as commercial airliners, as well as in business aircraft, it would also be desirable to reduce control panel clutter by combining satellite communications, navigation, flight control, and other aircraft operational functions into a common display format such as a multifunction display, thus reducing the workload of aircrew members.
An apparatus and method are provided for reducing display clutter and improving the readability of a display by eliminating the necessity of providing separate multifunction control/display units and other similar radio/audio/etc. subsystem CDUs in an aircraft cockpit.
This is accomplished by providing an interface between the pertinent avionics subsystem (e.g., a satellite data unit (SDU) and a primary display system (PDS) or other multifunction control/display system. The interface also allows the human-machine interface between the avionics subsystem device and the pilot or aircrew member to be consistent with the human-machine interface for the remainder of the aircraft operations. The interface also allows the human-machine interface to be independent of the machine machine interface. The interface also allows for automatic detection of the type of interface employed between the avionics subsystem and the primary display system or other multifunction control/display system, thus allowing the subsystem to automatically adapt to its specific installation environment.